Mayor Emanuel, Mayor Garcetti And Mayor De Blasio Take Legal Action Against President Trump's Travel Ban

Thursday, March 16, 2017 - 3:30pm

City of Madison involved in the local government effort against second executive order

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the Cities of Chicago, Los Angeles and New York City have filed a friend-of-the-court (amicus) brief in the federal district court in Seattle, where six States have challenged President Donald Trump’s second attempt at restricting travel into the United States from six majority-Muslim nations is being heard.

"The revised travel ban is an affront to American values, weakens our national security, and is unconstitutional," said Mayor Emanuel. "I am pleased that our country’s largest cities are standing together in defense of our most cherished principles and in opposition to this unlawful executive order. We will fight to ensure that this country remains a welcoming beacon of hope to innocent refugees who seek to escape the life-threatening horrors of war, to asylum seekers, and to hardworking, law-abiding immigrants who seek a better life."

Chicago, Los Angeles and New York City, joining with Madison, Boston, Central Falls (RI), Gary, Ithaca, Jersey City, Minneapolis, Montgomery County (MD), Oakland, Portland, Philadelphia, Saint Paul, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, Santa Clara County, Santa Monica, Seattle, Skokie, South Bend and West Hollywood, presented the local government position to the district court, which is considering the States’ emergency motion to apply its existing injunction to the new executive order. The brief explains the vital contribution that immigrants make to our cities and country, points out that classifications based on religion and natural origin are presumptively invalid, and argues that the travel ban is misguided and unconstitutional.

"The City of Madison has spoken out," said Madison Mayor Paul Soglin. "Our community is one in which people of all faiths, races and gender feel safe and welcome."

The executive order restricting immigration prohibits people from six countries—Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen—from entering the U.S. for 90 days and halts the admission into the U.S. of people granted refugee status for 120 days while the Trump administration revises immigration screening procedures.